Mouthpiece for reed instruments



Mn. 27, 1922., f I 1,449,868

B. MILLER MOUTHPIECE FOR REED INSTRUMENTS July 8, 1921 Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

UNITED STATES" BENJAMIN MILLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

KOUTHPIECE FOR REIED' INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed July 8,

To all whom, it may concern: v

' Be it known-that I, BENJAMIN MILLER, a citizen'of the United States, having residence at Chicago, in the county of Cook and the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Mouth pieces for Reed Instruments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The uirpose'of'this invention is to provide a igature or clamp for securing in position on the mouthpiece the reed of a wind instrument in a .manner to permit adjustment of the reed thereon as may be desired. It'consist's of the features and. elements of construction hereinafter described and shown in the drawings as indicated by the claims.

Inthe drawings F'gure 1 :is a side elevation of a mouth-- piece and a? clamping device thereon embodying this invention.

' Figure 2 is a-transversesection taken a indicated at line 2-2 on Figure 1. y

Figure 3 is a transverse sectiontaken as indicated at line 3-3 on Figure 1,

YFigure 4 s a detail bottom plan View of the pressure member'of the clamping device.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the holding band for the clamping device.

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken similarly to Figure 2 but representing a modified form of the invention.

As shown in the drawi s the mouthpiece, 1, has a body portion which is slightly tapered or conical with a flattened upper surface, 2, against which the reed, 3, is clamped. Many clamping devices have been heretofore proposed and used for holding such a reed in position but in very few instances have they been so designed that the clamp ing pressure upon the reed was applied directly toward the flat surface, 2, so that after the parts were placed the clamping device could be relied upon to secure them accurately in such position. The tendency of most clamps is to draw the reed over toward one side or the other or to slip it longitudinally during the clamping adjustment. My invention provides clamping means which so distributes the pressure and applies it to the reed that there is no tendency for the latter to slip during the tight ening of the clamp.

As shown in Figures 1 to 5, this structure 1921. Serial No. 3,193.

comprises a holding band, 4, preferably of metal, and formed with turned back or' hookedend portions,5, which interlock with the hooked edges,' 6, of a metalliebridge member, 7, dimensioned to extendover the flattened area, 2, of the mouthpiece and'c'lear of. the reed, 3, thereon. In the bridge, 7, a clamp screw, 8, is carried by threaded engagement with thebridge and operates upon avpressure member or plate, 9, interposed betweenthe bridge, 7, and thereed, 3. Preferably'the plate, 9, is permanently assembled. with the bridge, 7, by being swivelly attached to the end of the clamp screw, 8.

f' For distributing the pressure of the clamp screw upon the reed, the pressure plate, :9, ijs formed with three projecting lugs or feet, two of which, 10, 10, are positioned at one end of the plate and laterally separated. The upper surface,1l, of the reed, 3,.is usually convex and as shown 'I prefer to bend the bridge, 7, and the pressure plate,

9, to'conform approximately to this shape; the projecting feet, 10, 10, are formed to extend toward the convex surface, 11, of the reed in substantially radial directions and therefore obliquely with respect to each other. At the'opposite end of the plate, 9, a single pressure foot, 12, extends toward the reed for encounter therewith substantially at the middle of its width. Thus the pressure transmitted through the 'plate, 9. is uniformly distributed transversely of the reed and the oblique arrangement of the two feet, 10, 10, operates to prevent lateral shifting of the reed with respect to the clamping device or the mouthpiece.

The holding band, 4, being somewhat flexible and the clamp screw, 8, having coni siderable range of adjustment in the bridge, 7, permits the entire device to be slidably adjusted upon the mouthpiece and securely fixed at any desired position within this range. For removing the bridge, 7 it is only necessary. to release the clamp screw, 8, and slide the bridge over the reed for disengaging its hooked edges, 6, from the hooks, 5, of the band, 4. As a modification of this arrangement, the mouthpiece itself may be formed as shown at 13 in Figure 6 having longitudinally extending ribs, 14, with which the hooked ends, 16, of the bridge member, 15, may be slidably engaged in applying the pressure to the mouthpiece. This does not alter the construction of the pressure plate, 9, or the clamp screw, 8, these parts being shown in Figure 6 as exactly similar to the corresponding elements of the 1 preferred form of the invention.

. piece for musical instruments comprisingli:

' having means 'I claim 1. A reed clamping device for a moutha bridge member, and means onthe mouthpiece by which the bric ge member is disengage-ably held extending over the reed, said means comprising parallel lo gitudinal guideways. on the mouthpiece, the bridge member having means for slidably engaging said guideways, and clampingmeans on the bridge adjustable toward and from the reed; 2. A reed clamping device for a mouthpiece for musical instruments 'comprising'a ridge member and means on the mouth piece by which said bridgemember is' disengageably held extending over the reed comprising a band partially encircling he mouthpiece having its ends provided parallel guidewaysextending longitudi nally of the mouthpiece,'the bridge member fo slidably engaging said guideways, and clamping means orif tl e bridge adjustable toward and 'from'gj the reed. I V

A reed clamping device' for. -a mouthpiece for musical instruments comprising a bridge member and means on the mouth:

piece by which said bridge memberfis di slengageably held extending over the reed,

comprlsmg a band partially encircling .the mouthpiece and formed with' hooked ends, said bridge member havinghook ed portions adapted to interlock withtheienjds' oftlie I, I

'set iiiy hand'at Chicago, Illinois, this 6th day of July, 1921.

band, and clamping means on the bridge adjustable toward and from the reed;

4. A reed clamping device for a mouthpiece for musical instruments comprising a :clamp screw in said line of the bridge; member and means on the mouthpiece by which said bridge member is. disengageably held extending over the reed, a

bridge member adjustable toward and from the reed and a pressure member'interposed between the reed and the clamp screwcomprising a tripod plate o'f'whi ch two feet are at the forward end and one foot is at the rearward end, said two feet en aging the reed respectively at opposite. sides of the medial longitudinal forward end and the third foot substantially at the medial line of the rearwe end of the plate.

A reed clamping device for a mouthpiece for musical instruments comprising a bridge member and means on the mouthpiece by which said bridge member is disengageably held extending over the reed, a

clamp screw in said bridge member adjusta ble toward and from the reed, and a pressure member interposed betweenthe reed andj'the clamp screw comprising a tripod plat having'two feet atone end laterally separated and extending obliquely toward each other for substantially radial engagementwith the convex surface of the reed to be lodged on the mouthpiece and having a single foot projecting at the other end for engaging the medial portion of the reed.

6. 'lhecombination defined in claim 1, together with means by which the pressure inemb'er isnpermanently engaged with the bridge c'onsisting of the clamp screw which is swiveled in the bridge.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto BENJAMIN MILLER. 

